Method and apparatus for recovering floating petroleum

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus of recovering a petroleum product floating on water comprising an elongate containment barrier, having keel means, being positioned completely around the floating product to be recovered, the area encompassed by the containment barrier being gradually reduced to develop a desired head of floating product within the containment barrier and a portion of the developed head of floating product being gradually recovered while the area encompassed by the containment barrier being continually controlled so that the desired head of floating product is maintained.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.07/341,581, filed 04/21/89.

The present invention relates to an improved petroleum containmentbarrier which can be manufactured on-site quickly and efficiently tocompletely surround and enclose virtually any petroleum spill in anaqueous environment and further relates to an apparatus for themanufacture the barrier. Additionally, the present invention relates toa mobile petroleum recovery apparatus which can be quickly deployed toan accident site and attached to a ship and used to develop a desiredheight of petroleum product so that efficient pumping of the spilledpetroleum product floating on the water can be obtained and furtherrelates to a method for achieving the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is yet to be available mobile petroleum recovery equipment whichcan be rapidly deployed at a petroleum spill accident so that thespilled petroleum product can be quickly, efficiently and costeffectively recovered from the sea, or other aqueous environment.Moreover, the recovery equipment and techniques presently available haveserious drawbacks in that they are only useful for certain aspects ofpetroleum containment and recovery and they are all labor intensive andrelatively inefficient.

The term "petroleum product" means crude oil and all fluid derivativesthereof including gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oils, etc. and alsoincludes other liquids which have a specific gravity less than water sothat they float.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The following equipment and techniques are currently available forcontainment and recovery of spilled petroleum products from an aqueousenvironment. The first relates to petroleum containment which isachieved simply by inflating tubular floatation devices called "booms".These containment barrier devices heretofore have only performedreasonably well in calm seas. When swells are present in the water orthe weather becomes severe, the containment provided by such devices iscompromised and a significant portion of the petroleum product can leakpast the barrier and thus be free floating in the environment. In aneffort to improve the containment ability of these floatation devices,some have been provided with skirts which extend into the marineenvironment to help contain the petroleum spill below the surface. Suchskirts are passive devices and add little if anything to thestabilization of the floatation devices. In addition, such floatationdevices are typically transported to the site where they are manuallyinflated and manually deployed into the water by clean-up personnel.

A couple of known petroleum recovery techniques for recovering floatingpetroleum are either dipping out product with ladle-like devices orskimming the water surface with net-like skimmers. In addition, somespecial ships have been designed to skim the surface of water as theytravel through it to remove a portion of the floating petroleum product.One such ship has a continuous rotating belt which absorbs spilledpetroleum product and conveys it to press rollers which squeeze theabsorbed petroleum product from the belt into the ship's storagecompartment. There are also variants of the above techniques which allowskimming or removal by the ship while it remains stationary.

When the contamination problem is very severe and/or the recoveryefforts do not significantly improve the situation, recovery may beabandoned and chemical "dispersants" can be sprayed onto the spilledpetroleum product to break it up and cause it to sink to the bottom ofthat body of water where it is eventually degraded by micro-organisms.Another technique, which does not involve recovery, is to burn thepetroleum product off the surface of the water using lasers or otherheating devices which set the petroleum afire.

Petroleum recovery can also be achieved on shore by employing tanktrucks and excavating equipment to vacuum up and/or remove as muchpetroleum product as is reasonably possible from the shore.

All known prior art recovery apparatus, methods and techniques are verylabor intensive and do not employ much, if any, automated or high-techequipment to render the petroleum containment and recovery process moreefficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to improve upon thepresent petroleum recovery equipment and techniques so that virtuallyall "spilled" petroleum product can be recovered from an aqueousenvironment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved floatationbarrier which can be quickly manufactured to any desired length on-siteso that the spilled petroleum product can be completely enclosed by thecontainment barrier.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedfloatation barrier which can be used to generate a desired height (head)of the petroleum product floating on the water and control that heightto maximize recovery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a self-contained barrierdeployment apparatus which can be rapidly deployed to the petroleumspill to minimize the surface area being contaminated by the petroleumproduct.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a system that can bestored in a state of readiness and deployed by air on short noticethereby resulting in quick, efficient and cost-effective recovery of thepetroleum product from an aqueous environment.

Another object of the invention is to provide petroleum recoveryequipment which can generate a sufficient head of the petroleum productfloating on the water so that the petroleum product can be efficientlypumped during recovery, rather than skimmed off the surface.

An object of the invention is to provide a system whereby the thicknessof the petroleum product floating on the water is controlled by thedeployed containment so that recovery is efficiently achieved.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a petroleumproduct recovery system which can be customized to enclose virtually anypetroleum spill, establish a positive control over the spill andimmediately begin recovering the spilled product in a manner whichrecovers the petroleum product in a reusable and/or resalable condition.

Briefly, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a recoveryapparatus, for recovering petroleum floating on the surface of water,comprising winching means positioned adjacent the water surface forwinching in a floating containment barrier, encompassing said petroleum,in a controlled manner, and means for collecting and pumping saidpetroleum product floating on the water to storage means.

A method of recovering petroleum floating on water comprising the stepsof positioning a continuous floatation barrier to encompass saidpetroleum, reducing the area encompassed thereby to develop a desiredhead of petroleum, collecting said petroleum in a storage means oncesaid desired head has been developed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects of the invention will be further understoodby having reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, byway of example, a preferred embodiment of the present invention, itbeing understood that other embodiments employing the same principlesmay be made as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation of the improved containment barrierof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the improved containment barrier ofthe present invention shown in use;

FIG. 3 is an elevation showing a diagrammatic representation of anapparatus for manufacturing the improved containment barrier of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a diagrammatic representation of themanufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a diagrammatic representation of the frontportion of the petroleum recovery apparatus of the present invention inuse;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a diagrammatic representation of theentire petroleum recovery apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a diagrammatic representation of thepetroleum recovery apparatus shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation showing a diagrammatic representation of thecontainment barrier control roller assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation showing a diagrammatic representation ofpetroleum product recovery using the recovery pan;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation showing a cross-sectional viewof the petroleum recovery pan and nozzle;

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic representation showing a cross-sectional viewof the petroleum recovery pan;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic representation showing an arrangement fordetermining the height of the spilled petroleum product contained withinthe containment barrier;

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic representation showing an arrangement fordetermining the position of the spilled petroleum product/waterinterface to achieve proper positioning of the recovery pan; and

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic representation showing an arrangement forcontrolling the position of the recovery pan with respect to the surfaceof the spilled petroleum product.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to make the present invention rapidly deployable, it isanticipated that the containment deployment apparatus and the petroleumrecovery apparatus are completely contained within containerized freightcontainers. Accompanying each freight container carrying one suchapparatus is a support container which contains all of the necessarypower generators, fuel, and electrical and hydraulic equipment necessaryto power the apparatus. Such containerized freight containers facilitateshipment of the recovery apparatus over any available common carrier,such as by Hercules 100-30 civilian aircraft and/or Sikorski S-64Skycrane, or by military shipping aircraft.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the improved containment barrier i of thepresent invention will now be described in detail. The containmentbarrier 1 is compartmentalized to form a series of inflated chambers 2,the length and width of each of which is defined by the positions ofelongate seam 3 and traverse seams 4. These seams are air-tight andproduced thermally, chemically, ultrasonically, etc., and they insurethat the inflatable chambers 2 maintain the necessary air pressureduring use. The inflatable chamber 2, when inflated, will haveapproximately an 18 inch diameter and provide the necessary floatationof the containment barrier 1. The compartmentalized arrangement of theinflatable chambers 2 assures that containment barrier 1 remainsfloating even in the event that one or more of the inflated chamberswere to become deflated for some reason.

Attached to the seam 3 of the containment barrier 1 is an impermeableelongate keel 5 which extends along the entire length of the containmentbarrier 1. The purpose of the keel is to assist in the containment andisolation of the floating spilled petroleum product 9 even under roughconditions and, at the same time, provide stabilization of thecontainment barrier 1. The keel also prevents petroleum product fromflowing under the inflated chambers and assists in generating anincreased head of spilled petroleum product. The developed head will bea somewhat depressed head depending upon the specific gravity of thepetroleum product. The desired maximum depth of the contained petroleumproduct 9 (see FIG. 2) is believed to be approximately 12 inches undernormal conditions.

The keel 5 is preferably between approximately 2 and 12 inches wide.Extending below the keel 5 of the containment barrier is anapproximately 24 inch wide elongate skirt 6. The skirt provides a majorportion of the overall strength necessary for successful control of thespilled petroleum product height and the skirt's width can be varieddepending on the strength requirements. The skirt 6 is provided with aplurality of apertures or holes 7 punched through it to allow freemovement of the water 10 located below the spilled petroleum product 9to pass through the skirt. This movement assures minimum hydrostaticpressure on the containment barrier 1 while also helping to maintain acontrolled spilled petroleum product height. The skirt 6 is providedwith a plurality of elongate reinforcing strips 11, i.e , elongatestrips running parallel to the inflatable chambers which do not havingany holes therein, which provide the necessary longitudinal strength ofthe barrier. The inflatable chamber, keel and skirt can be manufacturedfrom one piece of material or two or more pieces connected to oneanother.

Attached to the bottom of the skirt 6, at spaced intervals, are ballastweights 8 which are typically provided every 2 to 4 feet or so,depending on their weight, size, etc., to prevent sailing of the skirtand keel when those members are subjected to water currents andmovement. Additionally, the ballast weights 8 maintain the verticalorientation of the keel 5 which helps assure that an increased head(height) of spilled petroleum product is generated and maintained underrough sea conditions.

Having now described the containment barrier 1 in detail, reference willnow be had to FIGS. 3 and 4 where the preferred embodiment of anapparatus for manufacturing such a containment barrier is showndiagrammatically. The containment barrier deployment apparatus 15 isprovided with a continuous roll of bondable material 16, eitherthermally, ultrasonically, chemically, etc., preferably 72 inch wide andbetween 1 to 10 mil thick polyester film, such as type 850 and type 851polyester. In addition, other materials which have been modified throughknown methods to be chemically, thermally and/or ultrasonically bondableare also acceptable. The first section 17 of the apparatus 15 operatesin a continuous production mode while the second section 18 of theapparatus operates slightly faster but in an "intermittent" fashion,i.e., it stops periodically for a very short duration. The first section17 is provided with an accumulator in the form of a plurality ofarticulated idler rolls 19 which increase the path of unwound bondablematerial 16, when the second section 18 of the apparatus is stopped, sothat the additional unwound material is taken up.

As the bondable material 16 is conveyed past a burst injection tube 20,the function of this device to be explained later in detail, it entersinto a folding station 21 where the left-hand edge of the material 16,viewing FIGS. 3 and 4 in the direction of arrow Z, is folded over ontoitself with the burst injector tube 20 positioned therebetween. Thefolded over material is then passed through an elongate seaming station22, such as an ultrasonic or thermal seaming device, where a 1 inch widewelded seam is formed in the machine direction along the folded overedge to thereby form an elongate tubular section 25. After leaving theelongate seaming station 22, the tubular section 25 is conveyed towardsa traverse seaming station 24, such as a second ultrasonic or thermalseaming device, where a traverse seam 4 is formed. If desired, a thirdmanual seamer, such as an ultrasonic or thermal seamer, may bepositioned near the continuous roll of bondable material 16 so that theends of two successive rolls can be seamed together.

The elongate seam 3 is very important and it helps to substantiallyincrease the elongate strength of the containment barrier due to itsincreased thickness If a very large spill is to be contained, e.g., aspill covering over say over 5 square miles, it may be desirable to addan additional layer or layers of bondable material or a metal cable orother similar reinforcing member(s) between the seam and/or increase thewidth of the seam to further improve upon the elongate strength of thecontainment barrier 1. After the inflatable chamber 2 leaves theelongate seaming station 22, the right-hand portion of the containmentbarrier 1 passes through a cutting device 23, which typically consistsof a mating die and punch roller arrangement, to provide the necessaryholes or apertures 7 in the skirt 6 of the containment barrier 1. Suchcutting operations are well-known and thus are not described in furtherdetail.

It is important to note that from the folding station 21 to the traverseseaming station 24 the burst injection tube 20 has been continuouslypositioned inside the tubular section 25 so that inflation of thetubular section can be achieved on line. When approximately 5 to 10 feetof manufactured product has passed downstream of the exhaust end of theburst injection tube 20, or any other desired length, conveying rollers26, 26' are momentarily stopped while idler rollers 19 take up theexcess conveyed material. When this occurs, a controlled burst ofpressurized air from air supply 29 flows through injection tube 20inside tubular section 25 of the containment barrier and inflates thesection to approximately 5 PSIG or any other suitable pressure. Itshould be noted that the discharge end of the injection tube 20 isprovided with a baffle 31, preferably a circular baffle having smoothouter edges, which helps to maintain the desired pressurization of thetubular section 25 until the transverse seam can be applied.Alternatively, the injection tube can have a slightly smaller diameterthan the tubular portion 25 to help maintain the pressurization. Afterthe desired pressure is achieved and maintained, transverse seamingstation 24 applies a transverse seam, thereafter the conveying mechanismof the second section 18 is again started. It is desired that theinflation/welding step should occur relatively quickly, say on the orderof approximately 750 milliseconds, so that the associatedinflation/welding equipment should be chosen accordingly.

The final step is the attachment of ballast weights 8 which is achievedat ballast station 27. The ballast weights 8 are typically split alloyweights which are automatically clamped at any desired interval to thebottom edge of the skirt 6. The weights are preferably long and slenderin shape so that they do not interfere with the winching devices whenthe containment barrier is "winched-in". It should be noted that thelast set of conveying rollers 26' contacts only the middle portion ofthe containment barrier 1 to assure the required clearance on bothedges, i.e., clearance for the attached ballast weights 8 and theinflated chambers 2, and positively deploys the containment barrier 1into the water. A discharge slide 28 is provided to insure that thecontainment barrier 1 will be deployed smoothly into the water withoutinterference with the ship's rudders or other external components.

It is also possible that the first and second section 17, 18 could bothbe run in an "intermittent" fashion whereby the entire apparatus 15would be stop while the traverse welding and/or ballasting occurs.Alternatively, the entire apparatus 15 could be run continuously byusing a moveable transverse seaming station which would be conveyed inthe machine direction during welding and then returned back to itsoriginal position for a subsequent weld.

The containment barrier deployment apparatus 15 is typically put intooperation on the stern of a conventional ship. Alternatively, the shipmay be provided with a platform which the apparatus could be positionedand operated at a level slightly above the water level. Once fabricationof the containment barrier commences, the ship carrying the apparatuscircumnavigates the petroleum spill and the containment barrier isdischarged directed into the water from behind the ship as it travels.

Having now described the containment barrier and apparatus formanufacturing the same, reference will now be had to FIGS. 5 through 11where the petroleum recovery apparatus 35 is shown in detail.

Turning first to FIGS. 5 through 7, the major components of the recoveryapparatus 35 are shown in detail. The recovery apparatus 35 is designedto be positioned slightly above sea-level so that proper operation ofthe apparatus is readily achieved. Therefore, it is desirable that theapparatus be positioned on a platform attached to a ship and locatedapproximately at sea level or on a barge or some other floatation vesselwhich provides for operation close to the surface of the water. Theapparatus is contained within container 51, such as a containerizedfreight container, having exterior top, bottom and side surfaces 52 andinterior wall 53 which completely encase the important mechanical andelectrical components of the apparatus. The front end of the container51 is provided with an adjustable petroleum recovery pan 37 which ispivotally attached to the front edge of the container by pivot 33. Thepan has a series of baffles 38 on the front edge thereof to reduce theturbulence of the petroleum product flowing into the pan. The center 15portion of the recovery pan is provided with a deep depression 39 thatallows a significant amount of petroleum product to collect or pooltherein so that efficient pumping of this product out of the recoverypan can be achieved. The quantity of "pooled" product 90 is a functionof the perimeter of the pan in contact with the petroleum product and ofthe edge of the recovery pan in relation to the petroleum product/airinterface. It is important to note that the recovery pan should alwaysbe positioned above the water/spilled petroleum product interface sothat water does not enter into the pan. The position of the recovery panis controlled by an input from a sensor means 85 which will be describedin detail hereinafter.

Two roller assemblies 36, 36' are also pivotally connected to the frontedge of the container 51, adjacent the recovery pan 37, so that bothcomponents can be stored completely inside the container when not in useand readily pivoted into an in use position when desired. A pair ofhydraulic actuators or pistons 74 are connected between the bottomportion of the framework 62 of the roller assemblies and the bottom ofthe recovery pan 37, as can best be seen in FIG. 9, and the position ofthe recovery pan is controlled by the sensor means 85.

Positioned inside the recovery pan, adjacent the bottom of depression39, is a nozzle having a downwardly directed inlet for recoveringpetroleum product. The other end of the nozzle 40 is attached to a hosewhich, in turn, is connected to a high-volume pump 42 that provides thenecessary pumping action. The nozzle 40 and hose 49 are held in positionby bracket 48. The discharge of pump 42 passes through water sensor 43and into product separator 44 comprising a flow valve that diverts theproduct into one of two storage containers 45, 46 depending upon thepurity of the recovered product. When essentially pure petroleum product9 is being recovered, it is routed through the product separator 44 topure product storage container 46, such as an on-site vessel where theproduct is stored for future shipping and/or resale. If during thepumping operation, the water sensor 43 detects unpure product 9, i.e.,product containing water, the sensor sends a signal to the flow valve ofthe product separator 44 which diverts the recovered product tocontaminated storage container 45, such as a second on-site ship orother large capacity storage container where such product is accumulatedfor further processing or disposal.

Turning now to FIG. 8, a detailed description of the containment barriercontrol roller assemblies 36, 36' will now be provided. The petroleumrecovery apparatus 35 is provided with a pair of control rollerassemblies 36, 36' one provided on each side of the recovery pan 37. Theroller assemblies 36, 36' are pivotally attached at 34 to the base ofthe container 51 and a major portion of the assembly is positioned belowthe water, when in use. Each roller assembly 36, 36' consists of atraction and an idler roller. The traction roller 60 is preferablyprovided with a neoprene-like surface 69 and has a plurality of raisedmolded studs 64, provided on its exterior surface, for firmly grippingthe containment barrier 1 and winching it through the apparatus 36, 36'.The top couple of rows of studs on traction roller 60 are sharp pointedsteel studs 64' which puncture the inflated chamber 2 of the containmentbarrier 1 as it is winched through the roller apparatus 36, 36, Idlerroller 61 also has a neoprene-like surface 69 and this roller is biased(spring, hydraulically, etc.) against the surface of traction roller 60to provide the necessary traction between the two rollers and insurespositive feeding of the containment barrier 1 through the rollerassembly 36, 36'. A suitable drive for each traction roller 60 isprovided via bi-direction motor 63 connected to gear box 66. Therotational speed and direction of the motors 60 are controlled bycontrol interfaces 65. Each roller is provided with a pair of suitablebearings (not shown), one on each end of the rollers, which are able tofunction acceptably in aqueous as well as salt water environments. Theentire roller assembly is fabricated to be sea-proof as well asexplosion-proof.

The framework 62 must be able to withstand very high forces whencontrolling the overall perimeter of the containment barrier 1, butshould be lightweight, if possible. The framework may be provided withplurality of holes 68 which reduce the overall weight of the frameworkbut do not materially alter its strength. In addition, support memberssuch as chain 71 may connect the lower portion of the framework 62 tothe bottom of the container 51 to maintain the assembly in its workingposition.

The pooled petroleum product 90 is pumped through the nozzle 40, hose 49and pump 42 into water sensing means 43, such as a magnetic flowmetersold by the Foxboro Co. of Massachusetts, which is able to indicate achange in flow characteristics caused by the presence of any water inthe recovered product and based upon this indication, a signal will beprovided to the flow valve, via the microprocessor control system 59, sothat the recovered product is pumped to one of the storage containers45, 46. The equipment used to pump the product from the recovery pan tothe storage containers must be properly sized so that it does not limitthe recovery process and efficient recovery is achieved. It isanticipated that the disclosed equipment will be able to recover andpump at least 2000 gallons per hour of petroleum product, preferably inexcess of 5000 gallons per hour.

The roller assembly 36, 36' in combination with petroleum sensor means75, to be described in detail hereinafter, are used to concentrate andmaintain a sufficient head of spilled petroleum product 9 so that anefficient product recovery can be achieved. This is achieved byattaching one end of the continuous containment barrier 1 to a firstroller apparatus 36 and then attaching the opposite end of thecontinuous containment barrier 1 to the second roller assembly 36' andthen activating the respective motors 63 to winch in the necessaryamount of containment barrier so that the area of the barrier is reducedand petroleum product is thereby constricted and concentrated. As theinflatable chambers 2 pass through the roller assemblies 36, 36' theyare pierced by pointed studs 64, and deflated The deflated barrier 1'may thereafter be either recovered or allowed to sink to the bottom ofthe body of water.

The petroleum sensor means 75, as shown in FIG. 12, is used to determinethe level of the water 10 and the spill petroleum product 9 inside thecontainment barrier 1 so that the height of spilled petroleum product 9can be readily determined. The petroleum sensor means 75 comprises asensor probe 91 which is positioned inside the containment barrier andmaintained at a constant height. The probe 91 is fabricated fromstainless steel or some other suitable material for an aqueousenvironment and contains a matrix of position indicating reed switches.Two floats 92, 93 are affixed to the probe 91 in a manner which allowsmotion of the floats along the exterior surface of the probe. Float 93is constructed of a buoyant material designed to float on an aqueousenvironment while float 92 is constructed of a buoyant material thatfloats on spilled petroleum product. It is to be noted that the materialchosen to be float 92 will be dependent upon the specific gravity of thepetroleum product being recovered. Both of the floats 92, 93 containmagnets which actuate the reed switches within the probe and relaypositional information to controller 74. There, the positions of floats92 and 93 are interpreted and the differential position is calculatedand output as an analog input to a microprocessor base control system 78which generates an output to control interface 65 which either causesmore barrier material to be winched in by the roller assemblies 36, 36'or reverses the motors 63 and winches back out previously winched inbarrier material 1' so as to relieve any excess pressure generated bythe petroleum product and/or the environment.

The purpose of the petroleum sensor means 75 is to determine the heightof the increased head of spilled petroleum product so that efficientrecovery can be achieved. There are a variety of ways to determine theheight of petroleum product floating on the water surface such as usingultra sound distance measurements, conductivity probes to sense thelevel of the water, pressure measurements based upon an absolutepressure and mechanical floats driving position indicating devices.These and other sensing means are also considered within the spirit andscope of the invention herein involved since such devices will indicatethe height of petroleum product floating on the surface

The recovery apparatus 35 is provided with a control system which isused to determine and maintain the recovery pan 37 at a desired level bycontrolling its position via hydraulic rams 74, one positioned on eachside of the recovery pan. The object of the control system is tomaintain the recovery pan slightly about the petroleum/water interface.The recovery pan is preferably positioned a couple of inches or so abovethe interface to insure that water is not collected.

One method of achieving this is by using a differential pressuretransmitter 84 which compares the relative pressures of the highpressure tap 86, position near the top edge of the recovery pan, and thelow pressure tap 87 position outside the perimeter of the containmentbarrier, e.g., outside the containment barrier on one of the rollerassemblies. These taps should also be at the same height, however, thehigh pressure tap 86 can be adjustably mounted to be slidable along theunderside of the recovery pan 37. The differential output from thetransmitter 84 is imputed to a microprocessor controller 88 which,depending upon the petroleum product level, controls a pump 72 thatsupplies the hydraulic fluid to hydraulic actuators 74 to provide thenecessary height adjustment of the recovery pan 37 relative to theproduct/ water interface. The microprocessor controller 88 can also beused to maintain the recovery pan at a desired location even whenturbulent conditions exist. This is achieved by adjusting the recoverypan 37, and its pressure tap 86, to try to maintain a zero pressuredifferential with respect to the low pressure tap 87. The adjustabilityof the high pressure tap 86 provides the necessary adjustments so thatwhen a zero differential pressure is measured, the lip of recovery panwill be positioned above the petroleum/water interface. The other sensormeans previously discussed could also be used. Alternatively, providinga recovery pan which floats at desire level in the developed head, viaadjustable floatation members, is also possible.

A second method of determining and maintaining the recovery pan 37 at adesired level is shown in FIG. 14. In this embodiment, an ultrasonicmeasuring device 86' is attached to the front edge of the recovery pan37 at a known distance above the pan lip. This device senses thedistance 78' from the sensor means to the top surface of the floatingproduct 9 and converts this measurement into a 4 to 20 milliamp outputsignal. The output signal is then imputed to PDI (proportional, integraland derivative) microprocessor controller 88, which determines therelative position of the recovery pan to the top surface of the floatingproduct 9 and outputs the necessary control signal to the hydraulicsystem 72, 74 which, in turn, adjusts the position of the recovery panto a desire location. As the spilled petroleum product enters into therecovery pan, the baffles 38 minimizes the turbulence so that theresultant pool of product 90 contains a minimal amount of air and isready for recovery. The petroleum recovery apparatus 35 is securelyfastened to an operating platform 81 of a ship and held there by holddown rings or other attachment means 55.

The entire petroleum recovery apparatus 35 is designed to be used in anenvironment that is "AWASH" (level with the sea) and is, therefore,constructed to be sea-tight and minimize the occurrence of an explosion.It is anticipated that sea-water will wash into compartment 54 on aregular basis and thus the interior wall 53 is constructed of an extraheavy duty, reinforced design so as to withstand the substantial impactof the waves. The control compartment 56 containing the microprocessorcontrols and the other electrical and mechanical components is designedto minimize the occurrence of an explosion and such design is well-knownis thus not described in further detail The control system shall havethe capability to maintain substantial records regarding the controlledenvironment and the progress toward recovering the spilled product.

SUMMARY OF OPERATION

When a petroleum spill occurs, the containment barrier deploymentapparatus is first put into operation to manufacture the continuouscontainment barrier on-site. The apparatus takes raw bondable materialand fabricates, inflates, ballasts and fully deploys a custom lengthcontainment barrier 1. Once the containment barrier 1 has beencompletely deployed around the spill, the petroleum recovery apparatus35 is properly positioned and the two ends of the containment barrierare attached to the respective roller assemblies 36, 36'.

After connection, the petroleum sensor means 75 begins to establish andmaintain a desired height of spilled petroleum product inside thecontainment barrier. When the petroleum product height stabilizes, theinterface sensor means 85 commences operation to position the recoverypan 37 at a suitable position slightly above the petroleum/waterinterface and the recovery process is then initiated. The pool ofproduct 90 is pumped from the recovery pan 37, via the nozzle 40 andhose 49, through high-volume pump 42, water sensor 43 and productseparator 44 into an appropriate storage container 45, 46.

Since certain changes made in the above containment barrier andapparatus for the manufacture thereof, without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above-description as shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in the limitingsense.

Wherefore, I claim:
 1. A method of recovering a product floating on water comprising the steps of:a) positioning an elongate floatation containment barrier, having keel means, to encompass the floating product to be recovered; b) gradually reducing the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier, in a controlled manner, to develop a desired head of floating product within the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier; c) sensing the height of the developed head with sensor means; and, once the desired head has been developed; d) gradually recovering a portion of the product floating on water; and e) using the sensed height of developed head to control the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier to maintain the desired head of floating product therein.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of gradually decreasing the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier comprises the steps of:a) connecting opposed ends of the floatation containment barrier to take up means; and b) gradually taking in, with the take up means, at least one of the opposed ends of the floatation containment barrier, in a controlled manner, to reduce the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier and maintain the desired head of the floating product.
 3. A method according to claim 2, in which said take up means comprises a pair of roller assemblies,each roller assembly comprising a traction roller and an idler roller positioned parallel with and biased toward one another, and each said traction roller is driven, depending on the head of floating product developed, by drive means.
 4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:a) driving said drive means, at a desired speed and rotational direction, to control the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier as the floating product is recovered, and thereby controlling the developed head of the floating product.
 5. A method according to claim 3, wherein said containment barrier includes a plurality of discrete, separate inflated chambers and said method further comprising the step of:providing means for sequentially puncturing the inflated chambers of the floatation containment barrier as the containment barrier is taken up by the rollers assemblies.
 6. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of using an elongate impermeable keel extending along the entire length of the floatation containment barrier, as the keel means, having weights attached to said keel to maintain it in a vertical position, when in use, and assist in developing the desired head of the floating product.
 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of gradually recovering the product floating on water comprises the steps of:a) positioning a recovery pan means below the surface of the floating product to provide a barrier between the floating product and the water so as to minimize the amount of water recovered; and then b) pumping the floating product which collects within the recovery pan means to storage means.
 8. A method of recovering a product floating on water comprising the steps of:a) positioning an elongate floatation containment barrier, having keel means, to encompass the floating product to be recovered; b) gradually reducing the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier, in a controlled manner, to develop a desired head of floating product with the area encompassed by the containment barrier; and, once the desired head has been developed, c) positioning recovery barrier means at least partially in a portion of the floating product to provide a barrier between the floating product and the water upon which the product is floating so as to separate the floating product from the water and to minimize the amount of water recovered; and then d) gradually recovering a portion of the floating product floating adjacent the recovery barrier means while controlling the area encompassed by the containment barrier to maintain the desired head of floating product therein; and e) using sensor and control means for determining the position of the recovery barrier means relative to the water and the floating product and maintaining the recovery barrier means at a position slightly above the water and the floating product interface.
 9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of attaching ultrasonic sensing means to the recovery pan means at a known distance above the floating product and sensing the distance from said ultrasonic sensing means to the surface of the floating product, determining the position of the recovery pan means relative to the surface of the floating product, and adjusting, as necessary, the position of the recovery pan means relative to the floating product.
 10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of providing baffle means within the recovery pan means for reducing turbulence of the floating product as it collects in the recovery pan means.
 11. A method of recovering a product floating on water comprising the steps of:a) positioning a free floating elongate floatation containment barrier, having keel means, to encompass completely the floating product to be recovered; b) gradually reducing the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier while maintaining complete encompassment of the area so as to develop a sufficient desired head of floating product within the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier; c) sensing the head of floating product as the area encompassed by the containment barrier is reduced; and d) once the head has been developed gradually recovering the floating product contained within the area encompassed by the containment barrier while controlling the area encompassed by the floatation containment barrier to maintain the desired head of floating product therein whereby all of the floating product to be collected by said method is recovered in a single contraction of the floatation containment barrier.
 12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising reducing the area encompassed by the containment barrier to produce a desired head of floating product of about 12 inches before recovering the floating product.
 13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of placing a recovery pan within the head of floating product and maintaining an outer perimeter of the recovery pan substantially within the floating product, but slightly above the floating product and the water interface, to minimize collection of any water within the recovery pan.
 14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:a) providing a deep depression in the recovery pan, which projects into the water and away from the floating product, when in use, to assist with efficient recovery of the floating product; and b) allowing a portion of the floating product encompassed by the containment barrier to flow into the deep depression.
 15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of pumping the floating product collected in the deep depression into means for storing the floating product.
 16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:a) the sensing the floating product pumped from the deep depression to determine if any water is contained within that product; and b) diverting collected floating product which contains water into second means for storing the floating product.
 17. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of reducing the area encompassed by the containment barrier comprises:a) connecting at least one opposed end of the containment barrier to means for taking up the containment barrier; and b) taking up the containment barrier in a controlled manner with the take up means.
 18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of using a pair of mating roller to take up the containment barrier.
 19. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:a) positioning recovery barrier means at least partially in a portion of the floating product to provide a barrier between the floating product and the water so as to separate a portion of the floating product from the water and to minimize the amount of water recovered; and b) using sensor and control means for determining the position of the recovery barrier means relative to the water and the floating product and for maintaining the recovery barrier means at a position slightly above the water and floating product interface. 